Reading underpins the school curriculum and is an essential skill for a successful future. All children are enrolled in the library when they join the school in Reception. We have Reading Scheme books, Early Reader books and Picture books in our Yellow and Red section. As the children learn and develop they will start to read books from the Green section such as Tom Gates, Roald Dahl and the early Harry Potter books. In Years 5 and 6 we encourage the children to also explore the Blue section which contains titles by Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman and Anthony Horowitz.

We are fortunate to have a very well stocked library with an extensive range of fiction and non-fiction. Once a week each class will have their own session in the library where they can read, borrow and return books using the Junior Librarian System. The library is also open during lunchtimes between midday and 2pm every day for quiet reading. This provides refuge from the busy playground and gives children the opportunity to read with their free time if they choose.

As part of our ongoing reading development programme we have established the library as a “Community” library. It is available for all members of the school community to use. We actively welcome parents and carers to enrol and borrow books so they can read at home with their children. We know that children who read frequently at home, or are read to frequently at home make better progress in their schooling and we are keen to foster this.

The library is open after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays for anyone in our school community to use. It is the pretty yellow, orange and red standalone building located between the ball court and the pond area. Our Librarian is Joost Creutzberg, if you would like to contact him please email: library@hitherfield.co.uk